Mexico Program Summary Since 1997, the International Republican Institute (IRI) has worked in Mexico to enhance the development of this important democracy. IRI works with political parties of diverse ideological backgrounds, state and local elected officials and civil society groups to encourage greater transparency, accountability and democratic governance practices. IRI supports democratic governance at the state and municipal level bringing together political leaders, civil society and citizens to discuss important issues and collaborate in developing effective policies. Strengthening Political Parties IRI has supported political parties’ efforts to develop issue-based platforms that address Mexicans’ most pressing concerns by working with party foundations and policy experts to provide expertise and analysis on the issues. The 2012 Mexican presidential election cycle provided an opportunity for IRI to work with candidates running for office on the implementation of security and justice reforms, a concern to many Mexicans. Specifically, IRI worked with local, state and federal level candidates in the northern states of Baja California, Chihuahua and Nuevo Leon to organize town-hall meetings, debates and candidate roundtables with members of civil society where candidates talked to the public, explained platforms and engaged with stakeholders on important changes occurring in Mexico. Strengthening Civil Society Informed and interested citizens play a critical role in the democratic process. To increase their participation in Mexico, IRI promotes greater involvement of civil society in the country’s political- and social-dialogue, especially among traditionally marginalized sectors of society, such as indigenous populations. In the months preceding the July 2012 national elections, IRI supported voter education campaigns undertaken by local civil society groups in Nuevo Leon on security and justice reforms. These campaign increased voters’ understanding of the reforms and enabled them to make an informed decision at the ballot box. Local civil society groups play a key role in distributing information on the reforms and will continue to hold candidates and elected officials accountable to campaign promises through events that require officials to inform the public on the progress of their commitments. Democratic Governance IRI places great emphasis on improving democratic governance in Mexico. In 2008, IRI launched a program in the state of Oaxaca, partnering with two municipalities, San Baltazar Chichicapam and San Jacinto Amilpas. With support from the National Endowment for Democracy, IRI provides municipal governments with technical assistance to improve their responsiveness to citizen needs and enhance the overall quality of municipal service delivery. These programs provide public officials with timely opinion research on citizen priorities, help to increase government transparency and improve the quality and frequency of communication between governments and their constituents. Additionally, IRI has helped to foster greater citizen interest and participation in areas such as municipal budget-making and public safety. In early 2013, IRI expanded its democratic governance program to the state of Morelos and to the municipalities of Cuernavaca and Yautepec, where the Institute continues to focus on increasing transparency and promoting communication between government and citizens. In order to replicate IRI’s democratic governance practices nationwide, the Institute has partnered with the Association of Local Authorities of Mexico, Association of Municipalities of Mexico, National Association of Mayors and the National Federation of Municipalities of Mexico to disseminate best practices for governance to mayors on a nationwide basis. .